Elite V-Arion Parabolic Rollers

The Elite V-Arion Parabolic Rollers are ideal for someone looking for the realistic feeling of bicycle rollers with the resistance flexibility of a turbo trainer.

Features

The main feature that differentiates the Elite V-Arion Parabolic Rollers from most other bicycle rollers on the market is the variable resistance setting which are built into the rollers. These three settings allow you to adjust the actual resistance produced by the rollers similarly to the way you would with a magnetic turbo trainer. This feature is a great selling point as it adds a bit of variety to the standard bicycle roller experience and makes these rollers serious contenders in the choice for a good indoor training solution.

However, because the resistance unit is fitted in the rear of the roller, you can actually only adjust the settings when you are not on your bike. Admittedly, this is not great but you do get used to it and eventually the benefit of having varied resistance will outweigh this little drawback.

The rollers do look and feel a little bit plasticy but they do look as though they would last, even under the toughest training regime. The rollers only weigh 8.4kg which is a bonus when carrying them around or transporting them.

The rollers are easily set up and they adjust quite simply to different sized bikes. This means that you wont have a problem if you plan on changing bikes often or if you share these rollers with someone else.

In addition to this the built in step provides you with a useful aid for getting on and off the bike that a lot of lower end models dont have. The step is however only on the left hand side.

Usability

The rollers are parabolic, which means that they are wider at the edges than in the middle which is a great help for staying on the straight and narrow. In addition to this the rollers have raised lips at the edges which make it a bit harder to go off the side. They wont protect you from complete disaster but they will assist you with smaller wobbles.

The rollers themselves have fully sealed bearings which means that the ride is very quiet. This feature is actually pretty standard with most good rollers on the market. In fact, you will only really experience noise if you use the rollers on a wooden floor.

When you are up and running, the ride experience itself is smooth and pretty realistic. If you are a first time roller user, it will take some time to get used to the “gliding on ice” feeling that comes with rollers but just stick with it as you will get a great workout. My advice would be to start off with your rollers in a doorway or near a wall for support.

The Verdict?

Overall, these rollers are a good choice for someone looking for the more realistic training experience of bicycle rollers with a bit of turbo trainer resistance flexibility.